Analysis of Geography and Biology Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Environmental Education

Abstract

Teachers have an important role in raising environmental awareness in individuals through environmental education and thus preventing environmental problems. For this reason, the self-efficacy level of teachers in environmental education is crucial. This study aims at determining the self-efficacy levels of geography and biology teachers and analyzing these levels according to different variables (gender, subject field, years of service, and participation in scientific events related to environmental education). The study was conducted through the survey model, and the study group consisted of 91 geography and biology teachers (41 female, 50 male) employed at high schools in Aksaray Province city center. The “Environmental Education Self-Efficacy Scale” was used in the study as data collection tool. The scale consisted of 2 dimensions, namely subject knowledge and teaching strategy, and 24 items in total. Items in the survey were scaled between 0-100 points (with 10 points distance). Data collected was analyzed through Mann-Whitney-U and Kruskal Wallis tests, which are both nonparametric tests. Findings of the study suggest that the geography and biology teachers have a high level of self-efficacy in environmental education. Furthermore, no significant difference based on gender, subject, or years of service was found between the points the teachers obtained overall and from sub-dimensions. However, it was determined that the overall and sub-dimension points of the teachers who participated in scientific events related to environmental education were statistically higher than of those who did not participate in such events. Lastly, the study proposes different suggestions in the light of these findings.